Rose plant cv. Aroart

ABSTRACT

A new variety of rose plant of the hybrid tea class, being a tall, bushy, half-hardy outdoor seedling, particularly adapted for garden decoration. This new rose cultivar is unique and distinguishable from existing rose cultivars by the following combination of characteristics: its extremely large foliage attractively clothes the plant, covering unsightly stems; the inside of each petal is very velvety, lending an effect of iridescence to the red coloration; the deep red coloration is relatively uniform throughout the life of the flower; its flowers are very slow opening both on the plant and in the vase; and its abundant production of strong, long-stemmed flowers well lend the variety for cutting.

This invention relates to a new class of hybrid tea rose. The plant is aseedling of the half-hardy, tall bushy outdoor type, cultivated forgarden decoration. It was first propagated in Ontario, Calif. Referencesto the growth and behavior of the plant pertain to plants raised inSouthern California.

This new rose cultivar is unique and distinguishable from existing rosecultivars by the following combination of characteristics: its extremelylarge foliage attractively clothes the plant, covering unsightly stems;the inside of each petal is very velvety, lending an effect ofiridescence to the red coloration; the deep red coloration is relativelyuniform throughout the life of the flower; its flowers are very slowopening both on the plant and in the vase; and its abundant productionof strong, long-stemmed flowers well lend the variety for cutting.

The new variety was propagated by Herbert C. Swim and Jack E.Christensen in Ontario, Calif., having as its seed parent "Pink Parfait"(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,904) and, as its pollen parent, "Yuletide" (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 1,391). It holds its distinguishing characteristicsthrough succeeding propagations by budding.

The new variety usually bears its flowers singly, but sometimes two tothree blooms are carried on one stem, in irregular flat clusters. Thestems are strong and long. The plant blooms abundantly outdoors, andnearly continuously during the growing season. It has a slight teafragrance.

This new rose cultivar may be distinguished from its seed parent, PinkParfait, by the following combination of characteristics.

Whereas Pink Parfait bears flowers of a predominate pink coloration, thenew cultivar bears flowers of a predominate red coloration essentiallyas described and illustrated herein.

The new rose bears flowers with 35 to 45 petals, whereas Pink Parfaitbears flowers of significantly lower petalage (20 to 25).

Whereas the new cultivar is classified as a hybrid tea, Pink Parfait isclassified as a hybrid grandiflora.

Pink Parfait bears flowers with numerous pistils (about 110), whereasthe new rose bears flowers with significantly fewer pistils (about 70).

This new rose cultivar may be distinguished from its pollen parent,Yuletide, by the following combination of characteristics.

Whereas Yuletide bears flowers of a light red coloration, the newcultivar bears flowers of a significantly deeper red colorationessentially as described and illustrated herein.

The foliage of Yuletide is average in size, whereas the foliage of thenew rose is significantly larger.

Whereas the new rose cultivar is intended specifically for use as gardendecoration, Yuletide is used only as a greenhouse rose.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the plant in color and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon the R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

BUD

The peduncle is short to average in length and average in caliper, beingerect, stiff and moderately smooth, with some stipitate glands.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is medium in size, medium-length,pointed and ovoid in form and with some foliaceous appendages and a fewstipitate glands on the surface of the bud. Usually, slender foliaceousparts extend beyond the tip of the bud equal to from one-fourth toone-half of its length.

As the calyx breaks, the color is between Red, 53A and Red Purple, 59A.The inner surface of the sepals carries a fine, wooly tomentum. Marginsof the sepals are lined with stipitate glands and hairs.

As the first petal opens, the bud is of average size, of medium length,pointed and ovoid in form. The color on the outside of the petal isbetween Red Purple, 60A and Red, 46A and sometimes blended with betweenBlack, 202A and Greyed-Purple, 183A and with a very small basalattachment point near Yellow, 2D. The inside surface of the petal has abasal attachment point of near Yellow, 2D and suffuses to between Red,53A and Red, 46A. The bud opens up well, and is not prevented fromopening by cold, hot, wet or dry weather.

BLOOM

The size of the bloom when fully open is of average size, ranging from31/2 to 41/2 inches. The petalage is double, with from 35 to 45 petals,plus from 1 to 5 petaloids arranged regularly. The bloom is full andhigh centered at first, becoming open to cupped. At first the petalsremain somewhat cupped, with tips reflexed outward, and later atmaturity becoming less tightly cupped, with tips reflexed outward.

The petals are of a thick texture; very velvety on the inside and shinyto satiny on the outside. The outside petals are broadly obovate with arounded apex; the intermediate petals are round to broadly obovate andwith a rounded apex. The inside petals are obovate and sometimes have anotched apex. The colors may be modified by being blotched, shadedand/or washed or tinted with other colors.

The description immediately following is of a newly opened flower of aplant grown outdoors in the month of July in Ontario, Calif.

The outer surface of outside, intermediate and inside petal has a smallbasal attachment point that is near Yellow, 2D which suffuses to betweenRed-Purple, 60A and Red, 47A. The inner surface of all petals has abasal attachment point that is near Yellow, 2D and suffuses to betweenRed, 53A and Red, 46A. The outer edges of the inside surface of theoutside petal sometimes darkens to between Black, 202A andGreyed-Purple, 187A; the intermediate petals show less darkening and theinner petals show no darkening on the edges of the inside surface.

The description which follows was made from a rose that was open forthree days. It had been grown outdoors in the month of July, at Ontario,Calif.

The outer surface of the outside and inside petals has a small basalattachment point near Yellow, 4D which suffuses to between Red-Purple,60C and 60B. The inner surface of the outside and inside petals has abasal attachment point near Yellow, 4D that suffuses to between Red, 53Cand Red, 47A; areas exposed to sunlight sometimes darken to betweenRed-Purple, 59A and Red, 46A.

The general color effect of the newly opened flower is between Red, 53Aand Red, 46A. The bloom after being three days open, gives a generalcolor effect between Red, 53C and Red, 46A. The petals drop off cleanly.They are not particularly affected by cold, hot, wet or dry weather.

The flower on the bush in the garden persists from three to four days inthe month of July. Cut roses grown outdoors and kept at living-roomtemperatures will last from four to five days in the month of July.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

There is an average number to many stamens which are arranged regularlyabout the pistils.

Filaments are of medium length and most are with anthers.

The anthers are of medium size to large, all opening approximately atonce. When immature, the color is near Yellow-Orange, 17B, and whenmature, the color is near Greyed-Orange, 165A.

Pollen is moderate and near Yellow-Orange, 17D in color.

There are an average number (approximately 70) of pistils.

The styles are very uneven, of short to average length, thin caliper,and loosely bunched.

The stigma is near Yellow, 11A.

The ovaries are all enclosed in the calyx.

This variety does not normally set hips under Ontario, Calif. growingconditions.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves comprise from three to five leaflets. They occurabundantly, are of a very large size, moderately heavy and semi-glossy.The leaflets are oval in shape, have an acute apex and an acute base.The margin is simply serrate.

The upper surface of the mature foliage is between Yellow-Green, 147Aand Green, 137A. The under surface is a color between Green, 138B andYellow-Green, 148C.

The young foliage has an upper surface which is between Greyed-Purple,183A and Greyed-Purple, 185A in color. The under surface is betweenGreyed-Purple, 187B and Greyed-Purple, 183A.

The rachis is average in size, the upper side being grooved and withsome stipitate glands on the edges. The underside is sparsely pricklyand with some stipitate glands.

The stipules are medium-length to long, moderately narrow, withmedium-length points turning out at an angle of more than 45°.

The plant displays a more than average resistance to mildew andblackspot when compared to other varieties grown under comparableconditions in the same locality.

GROWTH

The plant is of bushy, upright habit, and much branched. It displays avigorous growth. The canes are medium to heavy in caliper.

The main stems are near Yellow-Green, 152A, in color. They bear severallarge prickles which are of short to medium-length, almost straight,with a medium-length broad base. The color is near Greyed-Orange, 166D.There are very few small prickles near Greyed-Orange, 166D, in color andno hairs.

The branches are between Yellow-Green, 146A and Yellow-Green, 147A incolor. They bear several large prickles which are of short to mediumlength, almost straight, and with a medium-length broad base. The coloris near Greyed-Orange, 166B. There are a few small prickles nearGreyed-Orange, 166B in color, and no hairs.

New shoots have a color between Green, 144A and Yellow-Green, 146A andare sometimes blushed with near Greyed-Purple, 183A. There are severallarge prickles which are moderately short, almost straight and with amedium length broad base. The color is near Greyed-Purple, 183B. Thereare several small prickles and a few hairs (both near Greyed-Purple,183B, in color).

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the hybrid teaclass, substantially as herein shown and described, being particularlycharacterized in its extremely large foliage; its very velvety textureon the inside of each petal; its uniform red coloration throughout theflower life; its slow opening; and its abundant production oflong-stemmed flowers.